Happy Birthday Carl!

Carl and Max.

Happy Birthday to my brother Carl. 20 today...offically not a teenager anymore. Maxwell and Evan adore Uncle Carl. He is always willing to play with the boys and they love hanging out with him!

Happy Birthday Carl!

just when I thought things were getting back on track...

Yeah...you see this is why I hate Mondays.

started off all wrong. In the shower I washed my hair twice. Not that odd you may think, but it is when I did not realize I had just washed it 1 mintue earlier until I realized I was reapeating the same motion. Lately, (as you can probably tell from my previous posts) I have been a little stressed.

The boys and I ran out to Barnes and Noble to pick up a book I had ordered. All was fine, until we had to leave. I think you know where this is going...

In short, Max did not want to leave and I strapped him into the stroller and pushed the boys out as fast as possible. We get to the car, he is still wailing and I get him in the car, stick the keys in the ignition to get it cooled off before I get Evan and the stroller in. I turn and...
nothing.
Again.
No dice.
Great. Just great.I have a screaming toddler and my car won't start. I am looking around the parking lot for someone anyone to help me. I am carrying around Evan while a tearful Max is pouting behind me. I ask not one, not two, but eight people and none of them have jumper cables.

Of course....what else would I expect?
I am standing outside the store trying to calm Max down before we go in, I figure we are going to be there awhile before Justin can get to us from work, so we can sit in the cafe and the boys can play trains again.

But before I head back in a girl I asked about jumper cables is back with a cookie and milk for Max, and a guy who HAS jumper cables!
We get it all hooked up and nothing.
I thank the man for his efforts and he then asks if he can take us anywhere. I am trying to decide if I should let this stranger take me home, and the girl is back asking if she can take us. She works at Barnes and Noble and tells us she told her boss about the situation and can take us home. Again I thank Dr. Stanley, he tells me no problem, he has two young boys himself and he heads back into the store to get his reading materials.
Tiffany piles the boys and I into her cute black sports car and soon we are home.
It is then that I realize I left my house keys...where else but in my car. I tell her I can try to break in through a window or just hang out in the yard until Justin gets home, in like an hour. I thank her profusely for the ride and all her help ( I MUST send a thank-you to her at work) and soon the boys and I are hanging out on the deck. Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers.
Our sweet, sweet neighbors behind us bring us some water to drink as we fill them in on our days adventure. Soon Justin is home and all I want to do is cry...my last few weeks have been stressful.
We get back to the beast and we miraculously get it started. We get home, I pull it in the garage, try to start it up again and no. So, after doing some research we either need a new battery or alternator.
I am thinking about never leaving the house again...unless I am walking, but even then I am not so sure. You never know, the stroller could break apart on me.
Thank goodness I have a good sense of humor, otherwise I might just have to be committed at this point.

So on to...

what's with these guys?

Marc and the port-a-potty?

Justin and the dumpster?

lately...is sticking around in more than one way.

My head is about to pop off.

Sometimes I think it is really going to.

Monday was hard. I was just really tired because I just was.

I had this splitting headache all day, and I was upset because Justin was going to play golf after work ( how dare he have fun!)...which was nice because the boys and I had Mac and Cheese for dinner, but that meant three more hours of pure motherhood joy. We actually did accomplish a lot, I did the laundry, we went to the pool, we had a nice walk, but it was a long day.

Today, started off fine. Slept in a bit, had a decent breakfast, and by decent I mean the boys, as they had grapes and cereal while I chomped on the last chocolate chip cookie. Then off to Target to pick up some household items and a few food items. We are about done and Evan is getting crabby for a nap. I hold him for awhile, refill his cup with juice and he is happy again. We are heading for the registers to check out and I begin to see the beginnings of a Maxwell meltdown. I ask what he wants, and he wants to go the other way. To where? Who knows.

My keen motherly eyes scan the nearby shelf and spot some animal crackers. Child accepts and we move into the check out line. Usually Max likes to help out and put the items we are purchasing on the belt, but not today. He is not interested in leaving this store. He is starting to whine. I quickly begin tossing all our items unto the counter and he is losing it more. I tell him to stop... why bother? The whining is beginning to turn more into a cry and he is getting louder. It seems like the cashier is taking FOREVER to bag our items, like she needs to read each label on each package because she did not realize they sold disinfectant wipes. Or maybe I am just being paranoid.

Now, I know I am not the first Mom, nor the last this has happened to. CONFESSION: In fact, when other kids are acting out in stores I usually whisper into my eldest sons ear,

" He is being a naughty boy, we don't act that ways in stores."

I KNOW. Can you believe me?

When this is happening to you though, it feels so hard to believe it is real, and it sure feels like all eyes are on you, judging you, and this has never ever happened before in the history of shopping with children. Never.

I feel my face red hot with anger as we get to the car. As we are departing the parking lot, Maxwell begins to act all sweet, and I reply with a simple,

"Don't talk to me right now." in a talk to the hand tone.

Like he gets it.

We get in the house, I unload the bags, give Maxwell his gift of punishment, and attempt to sit. It is not long before Evan is attacking Max because he has something he wants and they are about to start a war. I swoop in and suggest going out in the yard. Out we go, and soon Maxwell is busy hitting a golf ball around the yard, and Evan is pushing trucks around the deck. Peace.

I look at the clock and it is 4:45. The dinner I have planned is going to take about an hour to prepare, plus I know I will have distractions along the way, so I better get it started. There is a ring at the door and a long red box is in the hands of the UPS driver.

I didn't order anything....at least that I can recall (sometimes I swear I order stuff in my sleep).
I thank him, and open the box. A bouquet of flowers and a note from my husband.

Suddenly today does not seem so bad after all.

Usually most days are not so bad...just going through a thing right now I guess. Parenthood is much different than we expect, as is with much of life, but I guess that's part of what makes life so exciting.

I've said it before and I will say it again, God is good and God is constant. He is and always will be and learning to understand him and his will for me and my life makes it easier to help me to find myself.

Nobody ever said motherhood was easy, but who knew it could be so hard sometimes...and I swear the next time someone asks what I do all day as a stay at home Mom I am going to seriously reply;

"Absolutely nothing. I lay on the couch eating Krispy Kremes, drinking coffee, and if I have the energy watch Days of our Lives,and then maybe follow it up with Guiding Light. It is the life."

5 years

Today Just and I have been married 5 years. You know how 25 years is silver, 50 years is Gold, well, supposedly every year is something, but who really does that? I decided anyway to look up five years since it is a milestone. You know what it is? Wood! That's right wood. Justin joked that he was going to whittle me something...yeah. But, I must say although my gift to him is not made of wood, it does have an element of wood on it. Aw, how sentimental am I? Or just corny.

Anyway, I am so thankful for this mate God has given me. We have been through our fair share of trials, more than many, but we pulled through. God has remained (and always will) constant and has helped us through it all.

Just, thanks for always being there for me and knowing how to deal with me at all times. You are my best friend and I love how we get each other so well. I love that we laugh all the time.

I love you babe. Happy Anniversary.

jared.

It's hard to believe it has been five years since Justin's brother Jared was making us all laugh with his crazy ways. I knew Jared and I would be friends from the day we met. His outgoing personality and award winning smile could win anyone over. Always full of energy and kind to every person he met, he was always willing to help...he always rescued me when I got a flat tire...yes, he did more than once.

In February of 2002 Justin and I had just gotten to my parents house after a full day of working and studying, and it just so happened his parents were there hanging out there as well.
We were having a good time hanging out when Justin's Dad recieved an urgent call. Jared had been in an accident.
Jared was skiing with a group of students from Wheaton college (of which he is an alum) and on the last run he was on, he had crashed, and that was all we knew.
We all piled into cars and headed up to the hospital in Madison where he was being med-flighted.
We had NO IDEA what to expect.
Minutes seemed like hours as we waited for his arrival and news on his condition.
When the news finally came, it wasn't good. They weren't even sure if he would live.

The next few weeks are really like a blur to me, Jared remained in intesive care for weeks.

It was INCREDIBLY emotional.

Soon he was transfered to another hospital for months, then to a nursing home until my in-laws were able to build an addition to thier home and recieve care for him there.

He isn't able to talk to us. We talk to him and he will nod yes or no. We don't know how much he understands.

This year Jared turned 28 on July 9.

We miss him dearly.

Vacay pics.

First stop: The Tantillos in Chicago. Splash Park fun, good eats, sparklers, and a little sickness for Justin (never smoking a cigar again!). Good times overall though. Ev.

Maxo.

Miles and Evan.

Miles.

The 6th- 8th was spent in northern Wisconsin with the Swanson/ Thomesen families.

Great Grandpa ( who just turned 93!) and Evan.

Justin had to go back to work during the week and so we spent time at my parents, Justins parents and with friends.

Max sliding.

Evan loves Starbucks...just like his Mama.

The weekend of the 12-14th was spent mostly in the car, but also in Minnesota at my cousin Joshies wedding. see pics here.

After the wedding on the road home.

Dvd player = bliss.

Evan was such a trooper.

We were about 2 hours from home when we came across this traffic jam. We were SO glad to be going south and not north. It was about 15 miles long, people were out of their cars, sitting on roofs and not looking too happy.

It was a nice vacation with lots of family and friends. So good to see all of you we got a chance to see, and there was so much to do and not enough time to do it all. I hope to see those of you we missed next time. I was so glad to get to IKEA since the nearest one to us is in Chicago, replace the UW wine glass I broke a few months ago, plus I got to check out Sarah Jessica Parkers new line. It was all in all one great trip.

wedding pictures.

A few pictures from my cousin Joshies wedding in Minnesota. It was a beautiful wedding on a perfect day set in an apple orchard. As I was holding Evan most of the day, or dancing :), here are a few of the pictures I did get to take. Good times with family.

guests making their way through the trees to the ceremony.

Kim & Josh


Max and his cousin Paul...best buds.

my dashing husband and cutie patootie son Evan.

The Tantillo Fam...Marc, Miles and Nicole.

awww...

Mr. and Mrs. Joshua and Kim Heidkamp.

Independence Day.

Last weekend our
neighbor
-hood association had a parade around the park. The neighborhood kids decorated their bikes and rode behind a fire truck, and afterwards there was a picnic and activities for the kids. Evan giggled like it was the best sight he could ever see.








Evan waving his flag goodbye to the fire engine.

Maxwell sporting his red, white, and blue.

We are off to Wisconsin for the next few weeks. We will be visiting lots of family and friends, celebrating my brother Peters graduation from high-school, and heading up to Minnesota for my cousin Josh's wedding. I think we are just about ready and packed for it all.

On my mind is Bethany, and her family. Her brand new baby girl little Adelee was admited back into the NICU not long after being home. Please pray that God will keep her safe, and they can find out what exactly is going on with her so they can take care of her and bring her home. Pray to for Bethany, her husband, and her two little boys, that God would give them peace and endurance in this time.

Happy 4th of July, have a safe and fun holiday.